redshirt

redshirtv. to hold a child back for an extra year before admittance into kindergarten. Etymological Note: From sports, where “red-shirting” is holding a player back for an extra season or semester in order to maximize his or her total years of eligibility, to increase skills or maturity, or to otherwise improve suitability for a team or roster. In that context, the term dates to at least as early as 1950. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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